Following the recovery of generation capacity and the replenishment of emergency reserves, Eskom has suspended load shedding.
In a statement, the power utility said load shedding had been suspended as of 5am on Wednesday.
“We maintain our guidance that load shedding is largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet. Our focus remains on eliminating load shedding as a structural constraint on the economy.
“There will be valuable lessons to be learned from the set of multiple unit trips that were unconnected and purely technical in nature related to electrical and control system issues within auxiliary parts of our power stations,” said Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.
The suspension comes after the power utility implemented Stages 3 and 6 of load shedding at the weekend.
On Monday, Eskom implemented Stage 4 load shedding and Stage 2 load shedding on Tuesday.
“We remain committed to high levels of maintenance, and the results are clear. Our efforts have delivered a 99% electricity availability rate over Eskom’s current financial year, from 1 April 2024 to 21 February 2025, saving R17 billion in diesel costs,” said Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo.
Nxumalo said ongoing planned maintenance stands at 6 660MW in alignment with the company’s summer period maintenance strategy, “which is at increased levels in order to prepare for winter and meet licence and regulatory requirements”.
“We reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that South Africa will not return to the severe levels of load shedding experienced in 2023,” said Nxumalo.
On Tuesday, Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reassured South South Africans that the implementation of load shedding at the weekend was not due to sabotage, but technical issues.
READ | Load shedding suspension remains on the horizon
The Minister explained that despite 300 consecutive days of uninterrupted power supply, recent setbacks occurred, including the loss of five generation units at Majuba and four units at Camden power stations.
“The setbacks we experienced are regrettable, but we are now able to bounce back, we are coming back much faster than we thought. It is important that we have the lights on for the South African economy,” Ramokgopa said. -SAnews.gov.za
